Old Vines, Zinfandel

92 Points | International Women's Wine Competition | June 2019
90 Points | Wine Spectator | February 2019
Gold Medal | International Women's Wine Competition | June 2019

Tasting Notes

This bright, lively wine showcases an abundance of berry flavors and aromas. Red raspberry, wild blackberry and a touch of cranberry are balanced with spicy notes of anise and cinnamon. This medium-bodied Zinfandel lingers for a long, smooth finish.

Vintage Notes

Harvest in 2016 started in the middle of August during a pattern of warm sunny days cooled by foggy mornings and breezy afternoons for most of the area. The early months of the year were very mild with little rain allowing the vines to progress steadily and uneventfully. Yields throughout the region were slightly below average but moderate weather starting in early summer gave the fruit plenty of time to develop great color and flavor, resulting in beautifully balanced wines.

Vineyard Notes

The grapes in our Sonoma County “Old Vines” Zinfandel come from vineyards in Sonoma Valley, Russian River Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Alexander Valley. Planted 50 to more than 100 years ago, many of these historic vines are planted on St. George rootstock and are head-pruned and dry-farmed, producing low yields of fruit with highly concentrated, intense flavors and aromas.

Winemaker Notes

The grapes are gently de-stemmed and crushed before cold-soaking for three days to extract optimal color and flavor. The fruit is then inoculated with many different yeast strains to build complexity, then fermented in separate lots using a combination of pump-overs and delestage to soften tannins. Secondary malolactic fermentation occurs in French oak barrels. the wine ages in barrel for sixteen months before final blending and bottling.